Victor Frankenstein's Interest in Science
An Accident Changes Everything
Victor Frankenstein continues recounting the influences that lead to his great experiment: An accident again changed the current of my ideas. When I was about fifteen years old we had retired to our house near Belrive, when we witnessed a most violent and terrible thunderstorm. It advanced from behind the mountains of Jura, and the thunder burst at once with frightful loudness from various quarters of the heavens. I remained, while the storm lasted, watching its progress with curiosity and delight. As I stood at the door, on a sudden I beheld a stream of fire issue from an old and beautiful oak which stood about twenty yards from our house; and so soon as the dazzling light vanished, the oak had disappeared, and nothing remained but a blasted stump. When we visited it the next morning, we found the tree shattered in a singular manner. It was not splintered by the shock, but entirely reduced to thin ribbons of wood. I never beheld anything so utterly destroyed. Before this I was not unacquainted with the more obvious laws of electricity. On this occasion a man of great research in natural philosophy was with us, and excited by this catastrophe, he entered on the explanation of a theory which he had formed on the subject of electricity and galvanism, which was at once new and astonishing to me. All that he said threw greatly into the shade Cornelius Agrippa, Albertus Magnus, and Paracelsus, the lords of my imagination; but by some fatality the overthrow of these men disinclined me to pursue my accustomed studies. It seemed to me as if nothing would or could ever be known. All that had so long engaged my attention suddenly grew despicable. By one of those caprices of the mind which we are perhaps most subject to in early youth, I at once gave up my former occupations, set down natural history and all its progeny as a deformed and abortive creation, and entertained the greatest disdain for a would-be science which could never even step within the threshold of real knowledge. In this mood of mind I betook myself to the mathematics and the branches of study appertaining to that science as being built upon secure foundations, and so worthy of my consideration.
Possible Topic for Exploration
Based on information in the excerpt, a good topic to explore for the narrative writing project about Victor's interest in science would be Academic Options. Victor's fascination with the new and astonishing theory on electricity and galvanism led him to give up his former occupations and turn to mathematics and related studies. This shift in focus highlights the importance of exploring academic options and choosing fields of study that align with one's interests and aspirations.
Which of the following would be a good topic to explore based on information in the excerpt?
- Parenting practices
- Family vacations
- Academic options
Texts mentioned, Parenting practices - Victor didn't know how to properly love and care for the Creature and therefore the Creature grew up with feelings of self-hatred and resentment for Victor. If Victor had treated the Creature with love and respect and told him it was okay to be different, the Creature's whole life would've been different in a positive manner.
Answer: Texts mentioned
Explanation: I took the quiz and this was the correct answer.